Car construction



Patented Oct. 18, 1932 i UNITED sa'rrs GOODRICH Q. LEWIS, F WHEATON,ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO W. H. MINER, INC., OF CHICAGO, "ILLINOIS, ACORPORATION OF DELAWARE CAR CONSTRUCTION Application filed September 14,1931. Serial No. 562,690.

This invention relates to improvements in car construction.

One object of the invention is to provide, in a railway car structure,means reacting f3' betweenV thev car structure and the lading forabsorbing shocks imparted to the lading due to 'starting or stopping ofthe car and sudden changes in the speed of the car whilev in motion,thereby protecting both the car structure and the lading from damage.

Another object of the invention is to provide means of the characterindicated in the preceding paragraph in the form of a resilient endmember of a railway car, especially designed for use in connection withfiat, gondola or bor4 cars to provide a resilient backingv for thelading, the improved end structure being particularly effective forproviding a resilientJ backing for lading in the form Vof a plurality offreight container units.

, Other objects of the inventionv will more clearly appear from the`description and claims hereinafter following.

In the drawing, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a topplan view of one end section of a gondola car, illustrating myimprovements in connection therewith, certain parts being shown indotted lines. Figure 2 is a longitudinal, vertical sectional View,corresponding substantially to the line 2-2 of Figure V1, the truckstructure of the car being omitted in this view. And Figure 3 is atransverse, vertical sectional view, corresponding substantially to theline 3-3 of Figure 2, said view being to one side of the longitudinalcenter line of the car.

In said drawing, 10-10indicate the center sills of the car, 11 the bodybolster, 12-12 the side sills, and 13 the end sill to which is securedthe usual striking casting 1li.V The coupler of the railway car isindicated by 15 and cooperates with a draft rigging 16 of well-knownform. The longitudinally disposed centersills 10-10 have the usual topcover plate 17. The floor of the car proper is indicated by 19, and theside walls by 20-20.

In carrying out my invention, I provide end members at both ends of thecar, which are `yieldingly mounted for sliding movement with respect tothe car. Each end member may be in the form of a single casting or maybe composed of a plurality of sections. Each end member comprises ahorizontally disposed platformlike portion 21 provided at the outer endwith a vertical wall 22, which is rigid therewith. The wall 22 forms ineffect the end wall of the car and extends transversely of the same fromone side thereof to the other. At opposite ends, the wall 22 and theplatform section 21 are connected byl bracing webs 23-23, which arepreferably of triangular outline, as shown in Figure 2. rlhe webs 23-28form in effect continuations of the side walls 20g20 of the car soras tohold the lading in proper position. The end member is supported directlyon the top plate 17 of the end sills. As shown, the platform member 21has depending side and end flanges 2li-24, which directly engage the topplate 17 of the center sills. The platform is preferably reinforced bydepending ribs 25-25, which extend from one side to the other thereof.At the central portion of the car, the platform member 21 is providedwith spaced depending vertical inner end flanges 26-26, as mest clearlyshown in Figures 2 and 3. These flanges form abutment means for theshock absorbing springs 27-27, which yieldingly oppose outward movementof the end member. In the normal position of the parts, the inner endVedge of the platform member 21 abuts the corresponding outer end edgeof the floor 19,-,there by limiting inward movement of the en member. Ateach side of the center sills, a supporting bracket 2S is provided. Thissupporting bracket comprises a horizontal platelike section 29 and endand side. flanges 30 and 31, which are secured res ectively to the endsill Y and correspon ing center sill. The outer end ange 30 of eachbracket serves as abutment means for the outer ends of the springs27-27. Each of the brackets has the end wall provided with inwardlyprojecting bosses 32-32, which engage within the corresponding endsofthe coils of the springs 27-27- The flange 26 at the inner end of theplatform 21 is preferably provided with an inwardly extendingsupp ortingshelf 33 for the corresponding ends of the springs 27-27. The springs27-27 are held under initial compression by retainer bolts Bel-34, whichextend through the coils thereof and have their opposite ends anchoredrespectively to the flange 26 and the end sill 13. As shown in Figures land 2, a plurality of freight container members A-A are loaded on thecar. These containers are of well-known form and, in the presentinstance, are shown to be of such a size as to extend entirely acrossthe car. Each container A is directly supported on theV floor 19 of thecar and the end container of the series also is supported on theplatform secion 21 of the corresponding end member of the car.

The operation of my improved car end construction is as follows: Whenthe lading of the car, which as shown comprises a 'plurality ofcontainers, is shifted lengthwise of the car due to eitherstarting orstopping of the car or sudden changes in the speed of the car while inmotion, the impact of the end container will be directly delivered tothe end wa-ll 22 of the car, which due to the yielding mounting of theend member will be forced outwardly and cushion the shock, therebyprotecting both the lading of the car and the car structure itself. Thesprings 27-27 are of sufficient capacity to immediately return the endmember to its normal position after the impact has been spent. Inreturning to the normal position, the end member will return thecontainers to their normal position also. As will be evident, when aplurality of containers are loaded in the car, the springl resistancemeans coopera-ting with the end members of the car will not alone serveto absorb the shock, but the frictional resistance opposing movement ofthe containers on the floor will also be effective in. dampening theshocks.

I have herein shown and described what I now consider the preferredmanner of carryingr out my invention, but the vsame is merelyillustrative and I contemplate all changes and modifications that comewithin the scope of the claims appended hereto.

I claim;

1. In a railway car, the combination with a sliding abutment member ateach end of the car; of means for yieldingly opposing outward movementof said abutment members.

2. In a railway car, the combination with a sliding end member at eachend of the car, each end member having an abutment wall for the ladingof the car ,of means yieldingly opposing sliding movement of saidmembers.

3. In a railway car, the combination with an end member, including asupporting platform section and a transverse end wall rigid therewith,said end member being slidably supported on the car structure; of meansyieldingly opposing outward sliding movement of said member.

4:. In a railway car including center sills, the combination with anabutment member at each end of the car slidable on said center sills; ofyielding means reacting between the car underframe structure and each ofsaid abutment members opposing outward sliding movement of said memberswith respect to the car.

5. In a railway car including center sills and side sills, thecombination with an end member at each end of the car slidinglysupported on said .centerand side sills, said end members each having anabutment wall for the lading of the car; of'means yieldingly opposingoutward sliding movement of said members.

6. In a railway carincluding end sill mem- Vbers at opposite ends of thecar, the combination with an end member at each endof the car, includingan end wall rigid therewith and yielding means reacting between each endsill and the corresponding end member to yieldingly resist movement ofsaid end member with respect to the car.

7 In a railway car, the combination with an end member including asupporting platform section, a transverse end wall rigid therewith, andbracing side webs at opposite ends of said supporting platform sectionand end wall, said webs being rigid with said end wallv and platformsection for bracing the same; of spring abutment means on said platformsection; and spring resistance means cooperating with said abutmentmeans and opposing movement` of said end member with respect to the car.

In a railway car including a floor adapted to support the lading, thecombination with sliding abutment members at opposite ends of the car,said abutment mem-. bers engaging the outer ends of the floor to limitinward movement of said members; of means yieldingly opposing outwardmovement of said abutment members.

9. In a railway car including a floor adapted to support the lading, thecomb-ination with an end member at each end of the car, including alading-supporting platform section and a transverse abutment wall rigidtherewith, said platform section of each end member lying in the sameplane as said car floor, said platform section having a flat abutmentface at the inner end thereof normally engaging the corresponding end ofthe floor; and means yieldingly opposing outward sliding movement ofsaid end members.

l0. In a railway car having a supporting floor and side walls, thecombination with end walls movable lengthwise of the car; of means foryieldingly opposing outward movement of said end walls. l

1l. In a railway car having spaced, longitudinally extending centersill's and transverse end sills, the combination with end members atopposite ends of the ear, each end member including a transverse Walland a platform section rigid with said wall, said platform section beingsldably supported on said center sills; of an abutment flange on saidplatform section; supporting brackets secured to sai-d center and endsills; abutment means on said supporting brackets; and yielding meansinterposed between the abutment means of each platform section and theabutment of the corresponding supporting bracket for yieldingl7 opposingoutward movement of the corresponding end member. In witness that Iclaim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name this 11th day ofSeptember, 1931. y

GOODRICH Q. LEWIS.

